Discover Pescosansonesco Nuovo

Pescosansonesco Nuovo is a destination for travelers interested in the churches, religious art and history of old Pescosansonesco. Its historical traces range from a Romanesque stone church to the remains of an Italic-Roman sanctuary. Fountains, a workshop and an annual festival also offer further insights into local traditions.

Churches, Art and Religious History

The Chiesa S. Maria in Blesiano, also known as the Chiesa della Madonna dell’Assunta, is a Romanesque stone church in Pescosansonesco Nuovo. It was built in the 10th century and restored in 1935. Its crypt contains 13th-century frescoes and the tombs of the Counts of Sansoneschi. Here, you can encounter different historical layers: the early church and the later traces preserved in the crypt.

The Chiesa di San Nicola is a small medieval church dating from the 12th century. It stands isolated on a rocky slope among the remains of the old, now-abandoned village of Pescosansonesco. Its carved-stone portal is decorated with sculpted jambs and capitals. The Pinacoteca di Arte Sacra “Vita del Beato Nunzio Sulprizio” focuses on another part of the religious heritage: it displays works by the painter and musician Mario Di Donato, who donated them to the parish.

The Santuario di San Nunzio Sulprizio also brings together architectural history and religious memory. Built in the 1990s, it is anchored to the rock and stands at the highest point of Pescosansonesco. The sanctuary includes the spring of Riparossa, described as miraculous, where the saint washed his wounds; it also houses his relics. The Convento di Santa Maria in Coll’Angeli is a Franciscan monastery founded in the 15th century, with a single-nave Romanesque church, side chapels, statues and polychrome stucco decorations. A municipal description of the area dated April 30, 2025, lists the monastery as closed and not open to the public. Check its access status before visiting.

The Old Village and Its Traces

Pescosansonesco Vecchio is an almost uninhabited medieval village on a rocky spur. Remains of the castle and parts of the historic center are still visible there. The Chiesa di San Nicola stands in isolation on the rocky slope among the remains of the old village. La Bottega adds a biographical thread to the history of the area: Blessed Nunzio Sulprizio worked in the workshop as a blacksmith alongside his uncle.

The remains of an Italic-Roman sanctuary are located near Pizzo della Croce. It was very likely the setting for the famous oath sworn by the Italic peoples against Rome during the Social War of 90 to 87 BC. A large part of the built-up area of Pescosansonesco lies within Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.

Fountains, Festivals and Local Highlights

The Fontana Romana dates from the late 16th century and is designed in the Mannerist style. Its U-shaped layout includes a central basin and two side basins; nine anthropomorphic masks carved in stone define the ensemble. The fountain’s shape and number of basins make its design as distinctive as the carved details on the portal of the Chiesa di San Nicola, which present a different architectural motif.

The Sagra della Pasta alle Erbe Selvatiche is an established tradition, held every year on August 13 and 14. If these dates are important to your trip, check the event schedule before planning. Another local curiosity is the “Punto di gravità” stretch of road before the entrance to the village: it creates the impression that a stationary car is traveling uphill against the slope.

Discover more destinations: Pietranico, Castiglione A Casauria, Catignano, Caprara D'abruzzo, Sant'eufemia A Maiella, Montesilvano, Farindola, Rosciano.

For the main travel overview: Pescara.